drape
Americanverb (used with object)
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drapes,
present (3rd person singular)
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draped,
past participle, past
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draping
present participle
-
to cover or hang with cloth or other fabric, especially in graceful folds; adorn with drapery.
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to adjust (curtains, clothes, etc.) into graceful folds, attractive lines, etc.
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to arrange, hang, or let fall carelessly.
Don't drape your feet over the chair!
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Medicine/Medical, Surgery. to place cloth so as to surround (a part to be examined, treated, or operated upon).
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(in reinforced-concrete construction) to hang (reinforcement) in a certain form between two points before pouring the concrete.
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to put a black cravat on (a flagstaff ) as a token of mourning.
verb (used without object)
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drapes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
draped,
past participle, past
-
draping
present participle
noun
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drapes
plural
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a curtain or hanging of heavy fabric and usually considerable length, especially either of a pair for covering a window and drawn open and shut horizontally.
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either of a pair of similar curtains extending or draped at the sides of a window, French doors, or the like as decoration.
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manner or style of hanging.
the drape of a skirt.
verb
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(tr) to hang or cover with flexible material or fabric, usually in folds; adorn
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to hang or arrange or be hung or arranged, esp in folds
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(tr) to place casually and loosely; hang
she draped her arm over the back of the chair
noun
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(often plural) a cloth or hanging that covers something in folds; drapery
-
the way in which fabric hangs
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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drapesimple
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drapessimple
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have drapedperfect
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has drapedperfect
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am drapingprogressive
-
are drapingprogressive
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is drapingprogressive
-
have been drapingperfect progressive
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has been drapingperfect progressive
Past
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drapedsimple
-
had drapedperfect
-
was drapingprogressive
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were drapingprogressive
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had been drapingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of drape
1400–50; late Middle English < Middle French draper, derivative of drap cloth ( see drab 1)
Explanation
The drape of fabric or material is the way it looks — the shape it takes — when it's hanging. If you're sewing a dress, you need to use fabric with the right sort of drape. You can describe the drape of a piece of velvet or cotton — and you can also use drape to mean "curtain." You could even say, "I just love the drape of those drapes!" When drape is a verb, it means "to cover loosely," as when you drape a quilt over your old sofa to hide its the rips and stains. In the 1940s and 50s, drape was also a slang term for a cool suit of clothes.
Vocabulary lists containing drape
I Survived the Destruction of Pompeii, AD 79
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I Survived the Japanese Tsunami, 2011
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Randles added: "Once you've knitted with it and washed it, it drapes beautifully whereas sometimes when you knitting with synthetic it doesn't drape but this stuff does."
From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026
Kim has reasons to drape himself in so much glory.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 25, 2026
And I agree it should be socially acceptable to drape oneself in velvet External link.
From Barron's ● Dec. 31, 2025
Sometimes the agents would stage mannequins in the passenger seats, or drape curtains over the windshield, or put a bag over their heads to avoid being photographed.
From Slate ● Oct. 27, 2025
Litdefinger took a moment to adjust the drape of his cape, but lyrion had seen the flash of hunger in those sly cat's eyes.
From "A Clash of Kings" by George R.R. Martin
Randles added: "Once you've knitted with it and washed it, it drapes beautifully whereas sometimes when you knitting with synthetic it doesn't drape but this stuff does."
From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026
Wilson believes that Snow Secure—the high-tech insulated polystyrene blanket that unfolds like an accordion, then drapes over a pile of snow—is just the invention.
From Slate ● Apr. 11, 2026
She has this fantastic wallpaper that she did up the walls, across the ceiling, and turned into drapes.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 7, 2026
Three days after the gunfight, the gates were wide open, and window drapes billowed in the breeze.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 19, 2026
“Food and wine!” he ordered before closing the thick drapes.
From "When the Sea Turned to Silver" by Grace Lin
During Thursday’s show, Guthrie draped a sash across Melvin as Daly placed a dark-blue towel over Melvin’s shoulders cape-style.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 22, 2026
“Eventually, Mr. Seaver’s residence had a no-trespassing sign in the front yard and barbed wire draped across the handrails leading to the front door,” the filing alleged.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 12, 2026
Soldiers drenched T-shirts in ice water and draped them over antennas that were on the fritz.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 10, 2026
American star Kylie Jenner closed the show, draped in a voluminous black dress.
From Barron's ● Sep. 26, 2026
Laurence draped a green apron around Bat’s neck.
From "A Boy Called Bat" by Elana K. Arnold
Dolly Parton’s estate has claimed that the late country music icon’s nephew, Bryan Seaver, went to extraordinary lengths to evade being served with a summons—including allegedly draping barbed wire around the entrance to his property.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 12, 2026
In Mexico City, Mexican Americans displayed their fan duality by draping themselves in both nation’s flags and cheering for the U.S. when Mexico was not on the pitch.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 11, 2026
Supporters waved Egyptian flags and Palestinian flags in support of nearby Gaza, as well as a poster of coach Hossam Hossan draping both flags over himself during the tournament.
From Barron's ● Jul. 10, 2026
It is difficult to predict how many England fans will turn up, draping the St George's Cross around the stands.
From BBC ● Jun. 16, 2026
A community college there was holding a college fair, and Blackburn set up a table in a hallway, draping it with the University of Virginia’s blue and orange flag.
From "Class Matters" by The New York Times
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